31 Days of Drafts and Darkness:

"Stake Land" (2010)

How can we put together a Halloween list without including a vampire or two? Tonight's feature sees the last shreds of humanity fighting back against hordes of blood-suckers. 

Note: This film is available on Netflix Instant Streaming right now, so be sure to check it out!

The Plot

The near-future is not a happy one. Our world's post-apopcalyptic wasteland covered in a feral breed of vampire. No one knows from where the vampirism first appeared, but once it began spreading, it didn't take long for vampires to outnumber humans. And these vampires are no suave charmers, but rather animal-like beasts hungry for blood. What people are left huddle together in camps and small villages, or take their chances on the road. Rumors whisper of the Canadian wilderness as a safe-haven. But no one knows for sure.

"Stake Land" is the journey of Martin, an orphaned teenager adopted by the grizzled vampire-hunter known only as Mister. The story of Martin's training from scared boy to toughened hunter is told in episodic fashion as the duo travel from town to town. Along the way, Martin is trained in the techniques and principles of vampire killing. The lifestyle is rugged. Vampires are faster and stronger than humans. And much more difficult to kill. Even staking them has to be done in a precise manner to be effective. Though living on the road is dangerous, the nation's economy now uses vampire fangs as currency, so the two are financially secure. 

Can Martin and Mister survive long enough to make it to Canada and is the country even the beacon of hope it's said to be? 

The Flavor:

If you're a fan of AMC's "The Walking Dead", you'll have a good idea what sort of atmosphere inhabits this film. The world of "Stake Land" is dangerous and bleak. What remnants of civilization remain - old buildings, abandoned cars - are picked over daily by survivors desperate for supplies. Foraging and scavenging has become a way of life, and pickings are slim. No character, major or not, is ever safe.

Also similar to "The Walking Dead" is how the world's brutality extends past the monsters. While the blood-suckers are the featured beasts, they're just as many human marauders. The fight for resources has turned humanity against each itself as much as it has vampires. One zealous and insane cult has actually bases its teaching around the 'gift' of vampirism, capturing the creatures and releasing them on towns like wild dogs.

But for all the bloodshed, "Stake Land" offers moments of hope in the darkness. Surrounded by death, humanity has begun to adapt. After the slayings, "Stake Land" takes the time to slow down and allow its heroes to enjoy simple, if brief, moments of peace. Ramshackle towns still make a point of holding neighborhood dances. With much of technology gone, society has gone back to a simpler way of life, where agriculture and survival mean everything. And with it, so does an appreciation for the little moments.

Somber and violent as "Stake Land" can get, it's atmosphere is just as filled with hope for the future as it is horror. This is no dooms-day scenario for humanity. We will survive. We just have to make sure not to step on each other along the way.

Best Paired with:

The tone and human element of "Stake Land" should endear it to any fans of "The Walking Dead", as it's really more about people dealing with monsters than the monsters, themselves. In that vein, if you're interested in survival stories or tales of human endurance, you'll enjoy this film.

Also, if you prefer your vampires more on the monstrous side with less of the sleek and sexy element, you'll find these creatures suitably brutal. They've no desire to seduce or charm. These vampires go right for the throat. Like with zombies, memories of their old life are effectively gone.

In fact, one of my favorite parts of "Stake Land" is how it establishes a bit of vampire biology. Being hunters, Martin and Mister learn the anatomy and inner-workings of the beasts to most effectively kill them. It seems like an extra detail, mere fluff, but it serves to make the world more real. The little touches help immerse you in the experience. Fantasy fans that enjoy getting lost in the rules of a fictional world will eat this sort of content up.

While the violence can be rough, even casual fans of the horror genre, or just those looking for a vampire movie with a bit of soul, will enjoy "Stake Land". It gets bleak, but ultimately champions the human race in the face of dark odds.

Accompanying Brew:

Suiting our heroic duo of vampire-slayers, let's go with a brew that's dark, but bold.

From Jack's Abbey Brewery in Framingham, Mass. comes tonight's featured beer: Smoke and Dagger Black Lager. Jack's Abbey puts out classic-style German lagers that are heavy on taste and local ingredients. They most often come in four-packs, but because each bottle contains a hefty 17 oz. of lager, compared to the typical 12 oz. size, you're not losing out on quantity.

That said, one taste and you'll realize that Jack's Abbey is far more concerned with quality. The Smoke and Dagger Black Lager features a blend of malt, hops, and a smoky background. One of my favorite styles, black lagers use the more heavily-roasted malt featured in stouts and porters, but retain the body of a lager. Thus, you're given all the strong flavor in a package light enough to drink multiples of. Though with such large bottles, good luck tackling more than two of these dark gems in a single sitting.

Apart from the roasty malt and hoppy bite, Smoke and Dagger also features the flavor and aroma of smoked malts. Take a sniff of your beer before sipping and you'll see what I'm talking about. By taking a portion of their malts and smoking them over beechwood, Jack's Abbey has imparted a distinct flavor into the brew that'll instantly remind you of a cozy fireplace. Of the smoke beers I've tried, Smoke and Dagger is more mild on the smokiness and heavier on the roasted malts. If you're not used to smoke beers, it'll provide a great intro, as the flavor isn't overly strong. Rather, the three flavors of roast, hop, and smoke balance each other well.

 For the dark mood coupled with the very implements of vampire-slaying, Jack's Abbey Smoke and Dagger Black Lager makes for a great pairing with "Stake Land".